The Abyss Stares Back - 12
Under the mirage of an arcane disguise Ophelia Vandermeer, pretending to be Watcher Maeve, rifled through folder after folder in the watchtower archives. Flipping through incident report after incident report in her pursuit of anything that bore any hint of demonic encounters.
She had intended to peruse these stacks alone and after hours but now she occupied the records with Inspector Eldon who was also interested in the same things she was.
“Anything yet?” the inspector called out from his side of the chamber.
“Nothing yet.” Answered Ophelia, doing her best to mask her noble imperial accent.
“Just bring me anything that be of note. Anything at all.”
Ophelia knew there must be something hidden in these files though she was hesitant to trust the inspector as the watchers had been dragging their feet on these matters for a long time. Eager to swipe away any negative blemishes to their precincts. However, Eldon seemed to be more invested than his colleagues, to the point that he too was more than ready to spend his evenings, after hours, to rifle through old incident reports. But that wasn’t the only reason Ophelia was hesitant.
She had a suspicion. One that she was hoping wasn’t true. One that she didn’t want the watchers to look too deeply into. Not to mention the fact that her recent blackguard ally was not well liked in the tower of late. Not after their recent ‘massacre’.
Ophelia flipped through incident reports pertaining to the various neighborhoods of Tollstock, eagerly looking for something of use, when she suddenly came upon a report of a strange accident in a factory there. Peering into the contents of the file it painted the scene of a worker who somehow managed to get caught in one of the machines, despite having been very far away from it. It was concluded that the man’s death was nothing more than an accident though other workers swore they saw someone up on the catwalks with him. Some dark figure that then disappeared.
“What have you got there?”
Ophelia jumped at the sudden realization that Inspector Eldon was now peering over her shoulder.
“Oh goodness.”
“My apologies.”
“No it’s alright. I—I found this report of a man who died due to an accident in the Wallstock factory.”
Eldon picked up the file and looked into it. “You think it has relevance?”
“Some of the other workers report seeing someone else up there with him.”
Eldon nodded, furrowing his brow thoughtfully. “Could just be a tall tale. The world is full of strange things, despite what scholars say, and even more unsubstantiated legends.”
“And yet, it’s awfully suspicious, given what we’re looking into, don’t you think?”
Eldon took time to read over the report again before giving her a smile. “Right you are. Keep looking.”
She nodded and returned to the filing cabinets as the inspector returned to one of the research desks. But the report had given her a hunch. If the other murders had taken place close to the infested apartment building then it would make sense if this might be related to another such lair.
As she searched through further incident reports she came upon a number of separately filed accounts of suspected break-ins at a municipal utility building. It was very close to the factory and one of the reports made mention of ‘vile vandalism’, though no photographs were attached. And even more interestingly, the Tillbone gang was said to be involved.
A hunch was beginning to form in Ophelia’s mind, though she wasn’t sure how much she was willing to share with the inspector. In fact, she might have to make a silent retreat soon if her hunch proved correct. But first she had to be sure.
Sloan and Hitch stumbled through a rain soaked alleyway, the blackguard pulling the limping criminal behind her.
“Will you slow down, miss?!” Hitch spat out. “This has been hell on my leg, you know.”
“You still bleeding?” she asked.
“No…I bandaged it well.”
“Well, then get going. Time is of the essence, scavenger.” Said Sloan as she peered around a corner to make sure there were no members of Finn’s gang were out looking for them.
“The world won’t end if we take a bit of a breather.” Hitch scoffed.
Sloan turned her dark eyes towards the large, scarred man and cocked her head. Watching as Hitch’s expression turned from an assured smile to nervous looks of uncertainty.
“Will it?”
“Let’s just keep going. It’s not far from here, you say?”
“No it’s in the basement of that building over there.” Hitch pointed to tall brick building that seemed to belong to a government contractor of some kind.
“Alright, follow me.”
Sloan pushed out into the rain-veiled street with Hitch following close behind her.
“Wait, you were kidding, right?” said Hitch as he hobbled up next to her. “This thing you’re investigating might be some world ending shit?”
“Could be.”
“Then why aren’t we calling the authorities?!”
Now Sloan scoffed. “Have you ever known the authorities to be useful?”
“On occasion.” He said. “You just gotta point them in the right direction sometimes.”
Sloan approached the building and stopped to inspect the front door.
“That wouldn’t surprise me.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Sloan grabbed the door handle and attempted to open, but the door was locked.
“You strike me as the kinda of weasel who wouldn’t be above snitching to the coppers in order to get rid of a rival.”
“It’s a dog-eat-dog world, miss.”
Sloan laughed as she stepped back, inspecting the building for another way in. “Ain’t that the truth.”
“What you want is in the back, through here.” Said Hitch as he walked over to the side of the building.
The blackguard followed him into a narrow alleyway which his large form almost filled.
“So is this thing you’re investigating really some sort of demonic incursion?”
Sloan chuckled. The way he said it made it sound like the legends of old. Of valiant paladins fighting the demonic hoards during the Age of Demons. “Something like that. We found an infested lair uptown in an apartment building. Right under everyone’s noses. A whole floor had become possessed by demonic thralls.”
Hitch opened a chain link gate and led her towards the back of the building. “Whoa. And what did you do?”
“We killed them.”
The criminal stopped to look at her in shock.
“What?” asked Sloan. “You too?”
“Holy heavens.” Muttered Hitch. “Really? The whole floor?”
Sloan sighed. “Yeah. The infestation would have spread if I hadn’t.”
Hitch turned and proceeded towards a set of cellar doors. “That…sounds…”
“Despicable? Horrendous?” Sloan interjected in a jaded tone. She was tired of how blind these people were to what was necessary.
“Efficient.” Said Hitch. “I could take over the whole city with one of you guys.”
Sloan was taken aback by that response.
“Here we go.” He said as he pulled open the door. “It’s down there.”
Suddenly, Sloan felt very uneasy with this man.
“You first.”
“If you insist.” Shrugged Hitch before descending down the stairs.
Reluctantly, she followed him down into the darkness.
Inspector Eldon spread out four of the reports he had deemed were of importance over the desk and stepped back. He often felt getting a literal overview helped him think when finding connections.
All these seemingly disconnected events in Lindon and now Tollstock. He was certain there was something here but his modern mind held him back from jumping to conclusions.
Judging by the evidence they had collected at the apartment building in Lindon there was certainly a lot that indicated that the blackguard was on to something at least. But how could such an evil design have escaped them, right in their own city?! There was something here, some pattern he was on the verge of seeing, but some piece of the puzzle still eluded him.
“Watcher Browlin, have you found anything else?”
Silence was his answer.
“Maeve?”
Turning around the inspector suddenly became very aware of the fact that he was alone in the archives and immediately he knew something was off. The watcher wouldn’t have left without a word, not one as driven as her.
Inspector Eldon walked over to the filing cabinet she had been at before, the drawer still hanging open, and now he could see the door to the archives was slightly ajar. She had indeed left, but why?
The inspector gazed into the open cabinet, finding almost nothing amiss, except…one folder was empty of any reports. But surprisingly, given its location in the filing system, it had nothing do with either Tollstock or Lindon, but instead the district of Brumsfield.
What was she up to, he wondered.
The heavy rain cascaded from the darkened heavens above as Ophelia Vandermeer stood in front of her family’s estate.
She remembered spending summers up here with her cousins and remembered how their parents had laughed together. But that had been such a long time ago and now the estate was but a ghost of its former self. The grass of the yard was overgrown, the roof tiles were slipping off and a few of the windows were boarded up.
Ophelia closed her hand on the bars of the gate and pushed but found it both locked and chained. Had her family fallen so deeply into neglect as to waste away themselves? It frightened her to find out.
Raising one hand in front of her mouth she made a sign and uttered a word of power before speaking a secret message, directed to one of her cousins, hoping she was currently inside the home.
“This is Ophelia. I’m here.”
The ethereal message was sent across cosmic winds she could not perceive and she then felt it dissipate, finding purchase with no one.
Saddened Ophelia turned to leave when a strange sensation hit her. Not one of any revelation or instinct. But a sinking feeling of something being very, very wrong. A feeling she had certainly felt before.
Ophelia slowly turned to look back at the house and for a moment her breath caught in her throat.
Long shadows stretch out, fleeing from the light cast by Hitch’s lantern. His human eyes required the illumination, but the contrast of darkness and light was playing tricks on Sloan’s eyes.
“How much further is it?” asked Sloan, keeping her hand on the hilt of her blade.
Hitch was an opportunist. He’d proven as much to her at Lucky Finn’s when he had eagerly suggested helping her after she had killed his boss and associates. In fact, she wouldn’t have been surprised if he had been hoping something like that would happen. Out of everyone who had been there, he’d been the only one who seemed weary of her. And yet he had said nothing to warn the others.
“Just a little further.” He said with a wry smile as he slunk past pipes and dangling wires.
It would make perfect sense for him to kill her. If he was planning on taking over, hence the reason he took Luther Tillbone’s ring, it was only logical to try and stab her in the back when her guard was down and then bring her remains to the rest of Tillbone’s associates to prove his allegiance.
Hitch suddenly recoiled. “Gods, what is that smell?”
Sloan quickly picked up the scent. It was very distinct and recognizable to her. Decay. The repugnant aroma of rotting flesh.
She pulled out her blade and approached Hitch. “Let’s go.”
“Is it even safe here?” he looked at her with an indignant expression.
“Sure it is. You have me with you.” She said before she grabbed his shoulder, turned him forward again pushed him ahead.
Hitch shrugged as he continued to inching his way through this darkened space. “I guess it is true what they say.”
Sloan sighed. “What? That we’re evil butchers with no conscience?”
“No!” he exclaimed. “That you people don’t have any damn manners!”
The blackguard stopped for a moment before a laughter burst from her lips.
“Oh is that funny, huh?”
“Sorry. That was just not what I thought you were going to say.”
“Well…I’m full of surprises.” Hitch said with an awkward smile. “That’s a thing that goes around.”
“What?”
“People underestimate me.”
Sloan cocked an eyebrow. “Oh I’m sure they…”
But her words faltered as her eyes gazed past Hitch into the darkness.
“What?” asked Hitch as terror began to engulf him.
Sloan slowly pushed past him, taking the lantern out of his hand and holding it up.
Past them the concrete basement of the building stretch out until it suddenly ended in a wide wall with two water pipes disappearing into it. But in front of the wall lay a mangled humanoid shape in a dried up pool of blood. Whoever this was they had been here for a while now and to Sloan’s eyes two things became frightfully clear;
The figure had been carved up and emptied of its insides. And the wall it lay before was covered in a bloody, pulsating mass of flesh. Within the mass, Sloan could see various scrawls etched into the wall. Demonic glyphs, among which she could quickly spot the one that the Tillbone gang had adopted as their symbol.
“What is that?” asked Hitch as he pulled his jacket’s lapel over his mouth. “Is that mold? Is it contagious?”
“No.” Said Sloan as she approached.
“I have a cousin who used to go adventuring.” Said Hitch as he took a single step back. “You know, go out into the world and find tombs and ruins and fight monsters and the like. Old world shite.”
“I’m aware of what adventuring is,” Sloan answered lazily as she inspected the growth.
“Right. Of course you are.” Hitch continued. “Well, he lost a friend to some sort of mold that infected his lungs through spores. Is this…like that?”
“It’s not a mold.” Said Sloan as she leaned in closer.
It was exactly what they had found in the apartment building, though not quite as severe. And, sure enough, embedded in the wall, in a small hole that had seemingly been dug out with a metal pipe, was a piece of bone wrapped in sinew. This was a portal corruption, though it was very early on in its stage. By Sloan’s estimate the charm had only been placed here in the past week or so. But its presence confirmed her worst fear.
“It’s demonic, ain’t it?” asked Hitch.
“It is…” Sloan turned to reply but was suddenly shocked when she saw something moving behind Hitch.
A figure lurked in the darkness. Humanoid in shape but had successfully snuck up on the two of them.
“Hitch! Down!” Sloan commanded as she gripped her blade to throw it.
“Put down your weapon!” the shape commanded her and for a moment Sloan was completely taken by surprise.
“Who the fuck are you?” she asked, still gripping her blade.
Out of the shadows emerged Inspector Eldon, brandishing a revolver which was now firmly pointed at the blackguard.
“Oh fuck.” Sloan and Hitch both intoned.
“Oh fuck indeed.” Said Eldon with a cocky smile. “Evening Hitch. A bit late for you to be out and about, gallivanting with suspected mass murderers. Or maybe that’s just a regular evening for you?”
Hitch quickly shifted his stance and his posture went from terrified to his usual smug self in only a couple of seconds.
“I don’t know what you’re taking about.” Hitch hissed. “I’m only here to help the community. There’s a demonic threat that’s been praying on our fair city, yeah?”
Sloan pointed her blade at the wall. “Does this look familiar?”
“It does.” Admitted Eldon. “Though I suppose your handiwork is consistent.”
“You think I managed to infest this overnight?”
The half giant man slowly eased his stance and shrugged. “Honestly? No. But I refrain from making assumptions until have all the evidence.” He then pointed his revolver down to the corpse laying by Sloan’s feet.
“And that poor soul?”
“One of your disappearances, I’d imagine.” Answered Sloan. “From the look of them they were killed a couple of weeks ago and their innards were among the components used to make this.”
The blackguard motioned back to the infestation on the wall.
The inspector didn’t relent and raised his firearm once more.
Sloan sighed. “I didn’t do this.”
“I’d advice you to drop your weapon, Inspector.” Said a disembodied voice emerging from the darkness.
They all turned to find someone else in the darkness with them. And while Hitch and Eldon struggled to see them, Sloan was the first to make out their feminine form.
“How on earth did you find us?” asked Sloan.
“I did a lot of research tonight, and figured I’d find you here.” Said Ophelia Vandermeer as she emerged out of the darkness holding out one hand with her fingers in a position to cast a spell.
Eldon peered his eyes at her. “Watcher Browlin?”
“My, you are a fine detective, that’s for sure.” She smiled. “What gave it away.”
“Your voice.” Answered Eldon. “And your scent. Illusions can’t hide that.”
Sloan chuckled.
“You know, when I say things like that I’m called a creep.” Muttered Hitch.
Everyone looked at Hitch who just shrugged.
“And is there a reason why you are holding me at spell point, miss…?” asked Eldon.
“My name is not important, Inspector. What is important is this.”
She held up her other hand and in it she displayed a broken bone charm.
“While I was assisting you in researching incidents in Tollstock I was also looking for similar patterns throughout the city.”
“Why?” asked Eldon.
“Something that Sloan said early. That there might be something more going on here. And so I looked and I found. And just like in the apartment building in Lindon and here, I found another charm of corruption, hidden away in a forgotten part of the city, in the district of Unmar.”
Eldon lowered his revolver and turned his gaze towards the blackguard.
“And those charms create these corruptions?”
Sloan smiled and silently reached her hand into the fleshy mass on the wall behind her and pulled out another such charm. And while holding it high in her hand she crushed it her hand and almost instantly the fleshy mass began twitching and writhing violently before going deathly still.
“Amazing.” Said Eldon as he took a step forward.
“Amazing? I was gonna say disgusting.” Hitch added.
Sloan held out the charm for Eldon to inspect. The half giant carefully picked it up and quickly noted the runes etched into it. His eyes then gazed upon the motionless mass that still clung to the wall but now slowly lost its color.
He then locked eyes with the blackguard who stoically met his gaze.
“I need you to tell me everything you know.”
